Bag supporting device



May 5, 1936. w. E. SHARKEY BAG SUPPORTING DEVICE Filed July 24, 1955 wmfimy V M HIS/ TTUENE Patented May 5, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEBAG SUPPORTING DEVICE am July :4, 1935, Serial No. 3232s 1: Claims. usiu This invention relates to a has supporting device and is designedmore particularly for supporting a paper bag while the latter receivesmaterialfromabagflllingdevicesuchasaweigm iingormeasuringmechanism.Bagsupporting devices have been provided heretofore which operatesatisfactorily with fabric bags but these devices are not adapted tosupport paper bags because they crumple the paper in an objectionable nmanner and subject the same to strains which frequently cause the bag totear.

One object of the present invention is to provide a device forsupporting paper bags without crumpling the paper or subjecting the sameto undue strains.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a device which willbe simple in construction and operation and which may be produced at alow cost. v 0 A further object of the invention is to provide such adevice which will comprise a single selfcontained unit and may bequickly and easily installed on existing filling machines insubstitution for the present bag holders.

5 Other objects of the invention will appear as the device is describedin detail.

In the accompanying drawing Fig. '1 is a front elevation of a bagsupporting device embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectiontaken on the line 2-4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detail section takenontheline 3-4 ofFig.2; andFig.4is a detail section taken on the line 1-4of Fig. 2.

form of my invention and have shown the same as 15 comprising a bagsupporting member about which the open end of a paper bag may be placedand which is adapted to be secured to a relatively iixed support, suchasthe filling spout of a bag filling machine. Cooperating with thissupporting i0 member arebag gripping members arranged to engage the bagon opposite sides of the supporting memberandtopressthesamenrmlyagainstthe latter without crumpling the paper or imposing thereon any strainother than the weight of i5 the bag and its contents.

In the arrangement here shown the bag supporting member 5 is tubular inform and is provided near its upper end with an inwardly extendingflange t of such size and shape that it will in) overlap the lower edgeof the filling spout I, without obstructing the geway through thatspout, and which may be rigidly secured to the spout, as by screws 8.Thetubular supporting form it approximately to the open end of a paperIn the drawing I have illustrated the preferred member is preferablyoval in cross section to conbag.anditisofaverticallengthsubstan lessthan its shortest diameter, although the relation of the length of thesupporting member to its diameter is immaterial.

Arranged on each side of the supporting memsberSisabaggrippingmemberladaptedtobe moved into and out of contact withthe bag on the supporting member. These gr pp members are of such acharacterthat theywill engagethe side walls only of the bag and willpress the same smoothly against the adjacent sides of the supportingmember. Preferably they are in the form of shoes and are here shown ashaving their contact surfaces shaped to conform to the contour of theadjacent walls of the supporting memher and of a length substantiallyless than the fore and aft diameter of the tubular supporting member.The shoes may be movably supported and actuated in any suitable mannerbut preferably they are mounted on levers ll arranged on go oppositesides of the supporting member and connected with a suitable actuatingdevice. The present device is self-contained andcomprises a single unitall parts of which are carried by the supporting member. Moimted on therear portion of the supporting member are brackets II and, as hereshown, each of these brackets is mounted on and secured to the flange 6within the upper portion of the supporting member and has a goose neckwhich extends upwardly above the edge of the supporting member and thenoutwardly and downwardly, the vertical portion of the goose neck beingspaced from the supporting membertopermit theendofthebagtobeinsertedbetween these parts. The lower end of each bracket has a laterallyextending bearing lug l2 and, in the form shown, each lever ll comprisestwo parallel plates, the rear ends of which are arranged respectivelyabove and below the bearing lug l2 and are pivotally connected therewithby a pin If. The two levers extend forwardly from theirsupportingbrackets on the respective sides of the supporting member andeach lever is provided between its ends with inwardly extendingprojections H which receive between them the pivot lug ii of theadjacent shoe, the lug being connected with the lever by means of apivot pin ii.

The forward ends of the lenrs II are, connected with a suitableactuating device which will move the same simultaneously toward or fromthe supporting member. This actuating device may be of any suitablecharacter but it is preferably mounted on the supporting member. In theconstruction shown the actuating device comprises a 56 transverse shaftI! mounted in bearings l8 carried by brackets it which are mounted onand rigidly secured to the forward portion of the flange 6. The shaft isprovided with means, such as a handle 20, for imparting oscillatorymovement thereto. Short vertical shafts 2| are mounted in uprightbearings 22, also .mounted on the forward portion of the flange 6, andhave secured to the upper ends thereof beveled pinions 23 which meshwith beveled pinions 24 on the transverse shaft H. The pinions 24 facein opposite directions so that the oscillatory movement of the shaft I!will cause the vertical shafts to rotate simultaneously in oppositedirections. Rigidly secured to each vertical shaft II is a rock arm 25,these rock arms being operatively connected with the forward ends of therespective levers II. The connecting means may take various forms but Ihave here shown link connections each of which comprises a rod 26pivotally mounted at one end on the corresponding rock arm 25, and anarm 21 having at one end a hearing portion 28 slidably mounted on therod 26 and having at its other end a bearing portion 29 arranged betweenthe two members of the adjacent lever to which it is connected by apivot pin 30. Mounted about the rod 26 and confined between the bearingportion 28 of the arm and a stop, such as a nut 3| on the outer end ofthe rod, is a coiled spring 32 which is so arranged that the operationof the actuating mechanism to press the shoes against the supportingmember will compress the springs and cause the same to exert yieldablepressure upon the shoes so long as the actuating mechanism is retainedin its operative position. To retain the actuating mechanism in itsoperative position I have mounted on a fixed support adjacent to theshaft H, such as one of the brackets it, a detent a which is ac-;,,-.tuated by a spring 34. A disk 35 rigidly secured to:

the shaft has a peripheral recess 36 so arranged that when the actuatingmechanism is moved to its operative position, that is, to a position tocause the shoes to engage the bag on the supporting member, the detentI! will enter the recess 36 and hold the shaft against return movementuntil suiilcient force is applied thereto to overcome the tension of thespring on the detent.

When the apparatus is in its normal or inoperative position with theshoes 9 spaced from the supporting member 5, a bag, such as that shownat 31, is opened and the upper end thereof placed about the supportingmember. While the operator holds the bag in this position by one hand heoperates the handle 20 with his other hand to force the shoes intoengagement with the bag and tightly clamp the latter against thesupporting member. This causes the detent 33 to enter the notch in thedisk and thus lock the parts in their operative positions so as tosupport the bag throughout the fllling operation. When the bag has beenfllled the operator moves the handle in the other direction, thusrotating the disk and forcing the detent out of the notch to release thebag. Usually the bag hangs from this supporting device and when releasedwill drop by gravity a distance sufllcient to withdraw the upper endthereof from the supporting member.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention I wishit to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the detailsthereof as various modifications may occur to a person skilled in theart.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a bag supporting device, a supporting member having an openingtherethrough and arranged to permit the open end of a bag to be placedabout the same, said member having uninterrupted and substantiallyvertical bag engaging surfaces on opposite sides thereof, leversarranged on opposite sides of said supporting member and pivotallyconnected therewith for movement about substantially vertical axes, baggripping members pivotally mounted on said levers on substantiallyvertical axes for bodily movement toward and from said supporting memberand having bag engaging surfaces shaped to conform to the contour of thebag engaging surfaces of said supporting member, an actuating device,and means for operatively connecting said levers with said actuatingdevice.

2. In a bag supporting device, a supporting member having an openingtherethrough and arranged to permit a bag to be placed about the same,levers arranged transversely to said supporting members on oppositesides thereof, each lever being pivotally supported at one end formovement toward and from said supporting member about an axissubstantially parallel with said supporting member, a bag gripping shoepivotally mounted on each lever between the ends of the latter on anaxis substantially parallel with the axis of said lever, an actuatingdevice, and means for operatively connecting the other end of each leverwith said actuating device.

3. In a bag supporting device, a supporting member having an openingtherethrough and arranged to Permit the open end of a bag to be placedabout the same, said supporting member having on each side thereof asubstantially vertical bag clamping surface, levers arranged on oppositesides of said supporting member, means for pivotally mounting one end ofeach lever on said supporting member for movement about a substantiallyvertical axis, a bag gripping shoe mounted on each lever between theends of the latter for movement thereby toward and from the adjacentclamping surface of said supporting member, a shaft rotatably mounted onsaid supporting member and extending transversely thereto, means foractuating said shaft, rock arms mounted on said supporting member formovement about substantially vertical axes and operatively connectedwith said shaft, and means for connecting said rock arms with the otherends of the respective levers.

4. In a bag supporting device, a supporting member having an openingtherethrough and arranged to permit the open end of a bag to be placedabout the same, levers arranged on opposite sides of said supportingmember, means for pivotally mounting one end of each lever on saidsupporting member, a bag gripping shoe pivotally mounted on each leverbetween the ends of the latter, a shaft mounted on said supportingmember for oscillatory movement, rock arms actuated by said shaft, andlinks connecting the other ends of said levers with the respective rockarms, each link comprising two parts and a spring arranged between saidparts to be compressed by the movement of the rock arm with which saidlink is connected.

5. In a bag supporting device, a tubular bag supporting member having aninwardly extending flange adapted to be connected with a filling spoutor the like, brackets mounted on the rear portion of said supportingmember, levers pivotally mounted on said brackets on substantiallyvertical axes and extending forwardly on the respective sides of saidsupporting member, a bag gripping shoe pivotally mounted on each lever,brackets mounted on the forward portion of said flange and projectingabove said supporting member, actuating mechanism carried by the lastmentioned brackets, and means to operatively connect said actuatingmechanism with said levers.

6. In a bag supporting device, a tubular bag supporting member having aninwardly extending flange adapted to be connected with a filling spoutor the like, brackets mounted on the rear portion of said supportingmember, levers pivotally mounted on said brackets on substantiallyvertical axes and extending forwardly on the respective sides of saidsupporting member, a bag gripping shoe pivotally mounted on each lever,brackets mounted on the forward portion of said flange and projectingabove said supporting member, actuating mechanism carried by the lastmentioned .brackets, means to operatively connect said actuatingmechanism with said levers, said connecting means including springsarranged to be compressed by said actuating mechanism and to press saidshoes toward said supporting member, and a device to hold said actuatingmechanism in a position to retain said springs in compression.

7. In a bag supporting device, a tubular bag supporting member having aninwardly extending flange adapted to be connected with a filling spoutor the like, brackets mounted on the rear portion of said supportingmember, levers pivotally mounted on said brackets and extendingforwardly on the respective sides of said sup porting member, a baggripping shoe pivotally mounted on each lever, brackets mounted on theforward portion of said flange and projecting above said supportingmember, actuating mechanism carried by the last mentioned brackets andcomprising parts movable toward and from each other and means foractuating said parts, a rod connected with each of said parts, a stop onthe outer endof each rod, arms connected with said levers and havingparts slidably mounted on the respective rods, and springs confinedbetween said parts of said arms and the stops on said rods.

8. In a bag supporting device, a tubular bag supporting member havingmeans for mounting the same on a filling spout or the like in a positionto permit the open end of a bag to be placed about the same, bracketsmounted on the rear portion of said supporting member and extendingoutwardly and downwardly therefrom, levers pivotally mounted at theirrear ends on said brackets and extending forwardly on the respectivesides of said supporting member, a shoe pivotally mounted on each leverbetween the ends of the latter, brackets mounted on the forward portionof said supporting member and extending above the same, a transverseshaft mounted on the last mentioned brackets, means for impartingoscillatory movement to said shaft, vertical shafts mounted on saidsupporting member adjacent to said transverse shaft, gears connectingsaid vertical shafts with said transverse shaft and arranged'to rotatesaid vertical shafts simultaneously in opposite directions, rock armscarried by said vertical shafts, rods pivotally connected with therespective rock arms and each having a stop near its outer end, armspivotally connected with the forward ends of said levers and slidablymounted on the respective rods between said stops and the pivotal axesof said .rods, and springs confined between said arms and said stops.

9. In a bag suppo ting device, a tubular bag supporting member havingmeans for mounting the same on a filling spout or the like in a positionto permit the open end of a bag to be placed about the same, bracketsmounted on the the ends of the latter, brackets mounted on the forwardportion of said supporting member and extending above the same, atransverse shaft mounted on the last mentioned brackets, means forimparting oscillatory movement to said shaft, vertical shafts mounted onsaid supporting member adjacent to said transverse shaft, gearsconnecting said vertical shafts with said transverse shaft and arrangedto rotate said vertical shafts simultaneously in opposite directions,rock arms carried by said vertical shafts, rods pivotally connected withthe respective rock arms and each having a stop near its outer end, armspivotally connected with the forward ends of said levers and slidablymounted on the respective rods between said stops and the pivotal axesof said rods, springs confined between said arms and said stops, aspring pressed detent mounted on a fixed support adjacent to saidtransverse shaft, and a part carried by said transverse shaft to engagesaid detent and hold said shaft against reverse movement.

10. In a bag supporting device, a supporting member having an openingtherethrough, arranged to permit the open end of a bag to be placedabout the same and having substantially vertical bag clamping surfaces,levers arranged on opposite sides of said supporting member, means forpivotally mounting one end of each lever on said supporting member formovement about a substantially vertical axis, a bag gripping shoemounted on each lever between the ends of the latter for movementthereby into and out of engagement with a bag on said supporting member,an actuating device carried by said supporting member, and means foroperatively connecting the other end of each lever with said actuatingdevice and including spring means operating to exert continuous pressureon said shoes when the latter are in engagement with said bags.

11. In a bag supporting device, a supporting member having an openingtherethrough, arranged to permit the open end of a bag to be placedabout the same and having bag engaging surfaces, a single lever arrangedon each side of and transversely to said supporting member and pivotallymounted ,at its rear end for movement in a plane intersecting saidsupporting member, bag gripping means carried by each lever between the,ends thereof and movable thereby into and out of engagement with a bagon said supporting member, and means connected with said levers near theforward ends thereof for actuating said levers to move-said bag grippingmeans into and out of engagement with said bag.

12. In a bag supporting device, a supporting member having an openingtherethrough, arranged to permit the open end of a bag to be ingsurfaces of said supporting member, a device for actuating said levers,spring means controlled by said actuating device to exert continuouspressure on said shoes toward said supporting member when said actuatingdevice is moved to its operative position, and means for automaticallylocking said actuating device in said operating position.

WILLIAM E. SHARKIY.

